Residents in the Village of Stanley, N.B., have started a community watch group and are working with the RCMP to try to put a stop to “suspicious behaviour” in the community.
Resident Maggie Soderman started a community watch group after a string of break-ins in November.
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Soderman said several people have reported things stolen from their homes and said there’s been some “really weird” activity in the area.
“There’s been a lot of suspicious activities such as vehicles driving into driveways in the middle of the night, pulling in with their headlights out and banging on back doors,” Soderman said.
Stanley resident Wally Ellis said he hasn’t seen anything “suspicious” around his property, but says he’s heard people talking about the issue around town.
“It’s been disconcerting,” Ellis said.
He tells Global News it “creates a feeling of uneasiness in the community.”
Soderman said the community watch program met for the first time in November. She said the RCMP attended the first meeting and will be present at the next one on Dec. 19. An increase in police patrols in the area has also occurred, she said, and she’s impressed with how they’ve been handling the situation.
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She said there are also close to 500 people in a private Facebook group where residents in Stanley and neighbouring communities can post accounts of suspicious things they’ve witnessed in the area, such as descriptions of suspicious vehicles.
West District RCMP Sgt. Andrea Gallant said there was an increased number of property crimes and suspicious activity reported a month ago, but said the number of reports have recently decreased.
Gallant said she wants residents to know the RCMP is working hard to find who’s responsible.
The effort, Soderman said, has been noticed.
“They are doing all they can to ensure that their presence is known and they will do all they can to make sure this comes to an end soon,” Soderman said.
Ellis said he won’t change the way he lives or add any extra security to his property, but he’ll be keeping a bit more of a watchful eye on what’s happening around the community.
Soderman said it’s important for anyone who notices suspicious activity to contact the RCMP instead of trying to take matters into their own hands.
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